“The true reader reads every work seriously in the sense that he reads it whole-heartedly, makes himself as receptive as he can. But for that very reason he cannot possibly read every work solemly or gravely. For he will read 'in the same spirit that the author writ.'… He will never commit the error of trying to munch whipped cream as if it were venison.” ― C.S. Lewis, An Experiment in Criticism

Monthly Archives: October 2016

Miss Brown, in her early forties, is alone and at a loss as to what to do. Living in the early years of WW2 England, she is overtaken by fear, having just lost her home and her livelihood due to … Continue reading →

“Vienna Prelude” takes the reader ‘beyond the curtain’ into life in pre-World War 2 Germany and Austria. Theo Lindheim is a wealthy department store owner in Berlin. He is a prominent World War 1 decorated hero, married with three children. … Continue reading →

Leota Reinhardt is in her eighties. She has a son George, and a daughter Eleanor, neither of whom keep in touch with her very often, and so she lives alone struggling to keep up her house and do simple tasks … Continue reading →

“This Road We Traveled” tells the story of Tabitha and her family as they make their way across mountains, deserts and through forests to the west coast and a new life in Oregon. Tabitha Brown’s son Orvus has come back … Continue reading →

Elizabeth Gaskell has written a lengthy (fictional) expose of life in mid-nineteenth century England in a mill town. Exploring the themes of poverty, class, snobbery, working unions, and personal integrity, she weaves the story of Margaret Hale and her genteel … Continue reading →